If all you can afford is the iMac, I think it would do the job. However, I think the Mac Pro would scream through the work while the iMac may spend some time stuttering or "thinking" while doing intensive tasks. But truthfully, my experience has been consulting and talking with the end users of the Mac Pros, who all seem to be insistent that they MUST work on the Mac Pro to be efficient at what they do... the same people that MUST have a 30" ACD to be effective - the people that work on Mac Pros, generally never "downgrade" after extensive use. And of all the ones I have ever spoken with about it, they all have Mac Pros with 30" ACDs at home. Apple is really doing something right in this high-end market.

The two are really different systems. You must remember the iMac is running high-end mobile components, while the Mac Pro is running high-end SERVER components.

I think the Mac Pro would be a great long-term asset if you plan to make a living doing this kind of work...

If all you can afford is the iMac, I think it would do the job. However, I think the Mac Pro would scream through the work while the iMac may spend some time stuttering or "thinking" while doing intensive tasks. But truthfully, my experience has been consulting and talking with the end users of the Mac Pros, who all seem to be insistent that they MUST work on the Mac Pro to be efficient at what they do... the same people that MUST have a 30" ACD to be effective - the people that work on Mac Pros, generally never "downgrade" after extensive use. And of all the ones I have ever spoken with about it, they all have Mac Pros with 30" ACDs at home. Apple is really doing something right in this high-end market.

The two are really different systems. You must remember the iMac is running high-end mobile components, while the Mac Pro is running high-end SERVER components.

I think the Mac Pro would be a great long-term asset if you plan to make a living doing this kind of work...

Best wishes with your decision.

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True. The iMac is very capable (though I suggest waiting for the next update, quad-core is highly likely), especially with 4GB of RAM. New revisions will probably go to 8GB. I would recommend an iMac. You might spend half the $ on an iMac than you do on a Mac Pro. Sure, it might be a bit slower, but you can afford to upgrade much faster.

Especially if you're not sure whether this is a one-off or a long-term investment, I would recommend the iMac as a starting point. If you're definitely going to be doing this sort of thing a lot more, as a full-time sort of job, Mac Pro is better.

If you're happy with the Mac Mini's performance, an iMac will suffice easily

The iMac will do everything you want it to and more. We produce a weekly half-hour television show using an iMac, and it chugs along with no problems. The Mac Pro might be faster if you have lots of 3D effects to render, but otherwise the iMac is plenty quick.

Despite owning a Mac Pro myself, I've also owned one of the aluminum iMacs before - and current iMac models are capable enough to get the job done effectively. (As already mentioned though, max. out the RAM in one. It's not expensive at all to do, and will make a difference in performance.)

The performance difference between the iMac and Mac Pro line has been a gap that's narrowing in a "real world, typical usage scenario" sense, if not in a purely technical one.

That's because despite having 8 processor cores, most applications either don't utilize them very efficiently, or at all, right now. Snow Leopard is probably the "missing ingredient" that will eventually help the Mac Pro regain lost ground .... but here and now? A higher-end model of iMac will do you just fine for most things.

The iMac will do everything you want it to and more. We produce a weekly half-hour television show using an iMac, and it chugs along with no problems. The Mac Pro might be faster if you have lots of 3D effects to render, but otherwise the iMac is plenty quick.

I currently own a Mac Pro with 4GB RAM and a nVidia 8800GT card. Along with it I have a 24" Cinema Display.

Lately I've been thinking of selling it and "downgrading" to an iMac. When I originally bought the Mac Pro I thought I'd be doing a lot more with video editing then I'm currently doing. While I do some editing and some After Effects it's only once every couple of months, so the Mac Pro feels like overkill. Everything takes up so much room and with an iMac I'd be getting rid of a lot of excess cables.

Am I completely crazy wanting to move from a Mac Pro to an iMac? I know for the limited FCPS2 editing and After Effects CS3 work I do that the iMac would be fine if maxed out with 4GB RAM. (And the occasional PC game through Boot Camp.)

Again, the iMac will more than suffice. Especially if you wait for the next revision, which should offer better graphics and address more RAM. But it sounds as though you're not using your Pro at anywhere near its limits, so the iMac would easily handle your needs.

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